In a move that redefines "hasty"...

...the Los Angeles Dodgers have severed ties with Paul DePodesta '95.

Flashbacks:
Hired by Dodgers, 2004.
As Asst. GM of A's, 2000.

Lo Ricco announcement...

...posted the same day as our earlier post on CSTV's website (but inexplicably, nowhere to be found on GoCrimson.com):

Cambridge, Mass. (October 19, 2005)--Harvard baseball coach Joe Walsh has announced the hiring of Tom Lo Ricco as the program's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Lo Ricco joins the Crimson following numerous stints as an assistant and head coach of several high-profile Division III programs throughout the region. Most recently, he spent the past spring as an assistant at Western New England.

I consider us very lucky to have a quality person such as Tom joining our staff," stated Walsh. "In Tom we have a guy who has been an absolute success as a head coach for eight years for other collegiate programs. He is a person of knowledge and integrity and will be a tremendous asset to our program."

Prior to WNEC, Lo Ricco served as the head coach at Westfield State where he posted a 34 victories including 21 during his final year in 2004. Lo Ricco also served as head coach for six years at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts from 1996-2002 where he posted a 112-111-2 record.

There, his teams reached the ECAC Division III Tournament during his final three years, winning the tournament in 2001 with an overall record of 24-19. His next, and final, season at MCLA was his best as the team posted a 29-10-1 record en route to Lo Ricco being named the MSCAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Other collegiate coaching stops have included Wofford College, the University of Massachusetts, and Springfield College. Lo Ricco is a 1987 graduate from Massachusetts with a BA in accounting. He earned his master's degree of athletic administration in 1995 from Springfield.

Lo Ricco resides in Feeding Hills, Mass. with his wife Jennie and two children, Anthony (5) and Sophia (2).

New Assistant Coach?

There is no formal announcement, but the Harvard staff directory now lists Tom Lo Ricco as the new Harvard assistant coach, replacing Matt Hyde.

So who's Tom Lo Ricco?

Apparently, he's the former head coach of Division III Westfield State.

Baseball, which is now led by highly regarded third-year coach Tom Lo Ricco, also is highly competitive while playing in one of the top conferences in New England. The baseball squad posted its first 20-win season in 20 years in 2004 and advanced to the conference tournament championship game.

Before that, head coach at Mass. Liberal Arts:

Tom Lo Ricco was selected as head coach at Westfield State. For the past six years, Lo Ricco has been head coach at Massachusetts Liberal Arts.

So he's something of a local guy, which isn't surprising.

Woodfork '99 Shortlisted for Rangers' Asst. GM Job

From the Globe's Gordon Edes:

Woodfork up next
Peter Woodfork, part of Theo Epstein's coterie of bright young assistants dubbed the ''Gammons Youth" by Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, is scheduled to interview with the Texas Rangers tomorrow, two days before his 29th birthday, to become the team's assistant general manager.

Woodfork would join 28-year-old Jon Daniels, who last week succeeded John Hart, and displaced Epstein as the youngest GM in baseball history.

Woodfork, who grew up in Swampscott and played baseball and was a psychology major at Harvard, held the title of Director of Baseball Operations/Assistant Director of Player Development with the Red Sox. Boston hired him in March 2003 away from Major League Baseball, where he served in the labor relations department and worked on the 2002 collective bargaining agreement.

Despite his limited experience in baseball operations, Woodfork was on the fast track to developing the background necessary to become a GM, especially with teams leaning toward backgrounds like that of Epstein -- young, tireless Ivy League grads with legal ties and a strong grasp of the game's business side who learn the baseball side on the fly.

David Forst, the former captain of the Harvard baseball team and current assistant GM with the Oakland A's, is said to be in line to become Sandy Alderson's first choice in San Diego if Kevin Towers leaves and goes to Arizona, a widely reported rumor. And Josh Byrnes, the Red Sox' assistant GM and former star player at Haverford (Pa.) College, is a possibility to interview for the Washington Nationals' GM job.

One American League executive gave Woodfork a rave review yesterday. ''He's smart and has a great personality," the executive said. ''Because he worked in the MLB office, he's well known throughout the league, because teams always called him when they needed advice on technical contract issues.

''The Red Sox had him going to games and assisting Ben [Cherington] in player development, and he would work with Theo on contract issues because he was such an expert on the language. He's a great communicator, one of these guys who always seems happy."

Here's a Crimson story about when Woodfork landed his present job.

Woodfork got to know Epstein—who became the youngest GM in baseball history when he was hired at age 28—during his time at the league office, when Epstein was director of Baseball Operations for the San Diego Padres. Woodfork took his post around the time baseball reworked its collective bargaining agreement, which he now remembers as a “great opportunity” to get acquainted with the financial side of the game.

Woodfork started 148 of his 157 career games for the Crimson, playing three seasons at third base before sliding over to second for his senior campaign. A native of Swampscott, Mass., he hit .301 for Harvard, scoring 87 runs and knocking in 62 more as the Crimson won the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Ivy League championships.

Daniel Habib ’00, a former Crimson baseball writer and current staff writer for Sports Illustrated, has written two articles about the new Red Sox administration this spring. Yesterday, he remembered Woodfork as a fundamentally sound player who fit in well with the Ivy championship teams of the late 90s.

“He was somebody who understood Joe Walsh-style baseball and played it well,” Habib said. “He was a solid contact hitter, very versatile defensively and also had a sharp, biting kind of wit to him.”

Habib suggested that the move fits Epstein’s approach to personnel

“Someone like Epstein will hire someone and err on the side of education and intelligence rather than having a traditional baseball background,” Habib said. “There’s isn’t necessarily a high emphasis on having a rolodex full of baseball contacts.”

Captain Morgan

Harvard baseball, it has been written, is best viewed in black-and-white. It's fitting, then, that a program known for its vintage style has chosen a true throwback as its leader.

Morgan Brown has been named the captain of the 2006 Crimson.

From the way he wears his socks, to the way he plays the game, the rangy Brown oozes old school, fitting right in with the classic style at O'Donnell Field.

Skipper Joe Walsh agrees. "Morgan," he said in announcing Brown's captaincy, "exemplifies what Harvard baseball is all about."

Brown has always seemed like the kind of player who would be underrated on most teams, but not so underrated at Harvard because the things he's good at aren't underrated here. The rest of the league's coaches took notice in '05, naming him Second Team All-Ivy. Now, his coaches and teammates have, too.

Congrats.

Hyde-Out

Sources close to the team indicate that Matt Hyde left his assistant coach position with Harvard baseball several weeks ago.

Although Hyde's bio is still up on GoCrimson.com, it is no longer linked from the Harvard athletics staff directory, having been replaced by "TBA" there.

Baseball Updates in The Crimson

THC follows up on several of the stories we've posted here. First, Frank Herrmann's exit:

While playing with the Oahu Paddlers in the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League, the senior pitcher drew the attention of scouts on the strength of his rejuvenated right arm. In the past, the Rutherford, N.J. native had suffered from tendinitis at the ulnar nerve, hindering both his health and velocity.

But this summer, finally “truly healthy” for the first time, Herrmann—who went 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA last year—was hitting 93 MPH on the radar gun.

After being considered by the Kansas City Royals and the Red Sox, the starter was approached by Indians scout Don Lyle, who offered him the best deal.

Herrmann, who stands 6’4, 220-lbs., calls the time he spent mulling over signing and thus leaving Harvard baseball the “toughest three weeks” of his life.

“I talked to everyone,” he said. “I talked to my family, friends. I talked to Zak, Coach Walsh, Coach Hyde.”

The notion of “What if?” ultimately proved too glaring for Herrmann to ignore. He figured that if he pitched for the Crimson in 2006 and did poorly, or got hurt once again, the prospect of another contract coming along would be slim.

So the Indians threw out a number, offered to help pay for school, and included a signing bonus. Former Boston Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette—whom Herrmann played for in the New England Collegiate Baseball League two summers ago—helped negotiate the deal for him and his family.

“I was a part of the best team ever in my opinion,” Herrmann said. “But I might never get this opportunity again.”

Today, Herrmann is back at school, living with his roommates and readying for the fall semester.

He’ll practice and work out with the team, he says, and then head to wherever the Indians send him in March. He is “99.9 percent sure” that he’ll return next fall to get his degree in government.

The same article also discusses Zak Farkes' summer:

“My main goal was to get experience this summer,” he says. “If I deliberated, waited until next year, I might’ve missed 100 or so at-bats. The wheels would’ve been going too fast. It would’ve been my first spring training—with no pro experience.”

Farkes acknowledged he “was pressing” during a short season at Class A ball this summer. His stint with Lowell—which finished just short of playoff contention in the New York-Penn League—somewhat resembled his junior season at Harvard, in which a slow start was topped with a season-ending hot streak.

Farkes hit two home runs in the season’s final week, but finished with a disappointing .174 average in 132 at-bats.

“You learn a lot about yourself,” he says of unfulfilled expectations. “But [the minors are] not really about stats. It’s more about learning to play the game.”

Despite the rough summer, the Red Sox were impressed with Farkes’ finish.

After working towards his Harvard degree this fall and living with roommate Frank Herrmann in Eliot House, he will report to spring training in March.

The article also reports that John Wolff, whose selection in the late rounds of the draft surprised many, has signed with the White Sox.

The Crimson then devotes a separate article to Schuyler Mann's signing with the Yankees:

“I hadn’t talked to any scouts in a while,” Mann says. “By that time, I’d basically given up any thought of baseball. As far as I knew, they weren’t signing people that late.”

When the Yankees came calling, Mann was at home in Corvallis, Mont., engaging in his favorite hobby, fresh-water fishing, and entertaining designs on joining the family jewelry business.

Finally, there's this on other players' summer league stints.

Breaking: Herrmann Leaves

Sources close to Harvard Baseball indicate that rising senior RHP Frank Herrmann has signed with the Cleveland Indians. His Harvard baseball career is over. The 6'4", 220 lb. Herrmann went 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA, including two shutouts, and was arguably the team's best pitcher in 2005.

With the early departures of Herrmann and Zak Farkes, this summer is proving to be the costliest in recent memory for Harvard. We'll have more on this one later.

Crimson Community Affected By Hurricane Katrina

As readers of this blog will remember, we talked previously about the variety of Crimson connections to the state of Louisiana. One of those important connections is Josh San Salvadaor ('02), who came to Cambridge from Chalmette, a city hit almost head-on by the eye of Katrina and remains swamped in water (images from Chalmette here and here).

Sanzo has alerted us that he is safe, and that he is staying with extended family in Lafayette, LA. He has indicated his sincere appreciation for the thoughts and prayers that have come from all those who have tried to contact him, and he is confident that the strength of his family will get him through this very trying situation.

If anyone has any information about the Keck family, we'd greatly appreciate it if you could let us know. According to press reports, Keck's high school, Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, may be closed until Christmas. Also, if there are others in the Crimson baseball community who have been affected by the storm, please let us know (the Crimson has reported on undergraduates who have been displaced by the storm).

And if there's any help the Harvard baseball community can provide beyond keeping the victims in our thoughts and prayers, please pass along those suggestions.

UPDATE: Auto-reply from Jason Keck's email address says the following:

Out of town on a "camping" trip until the 8th of September with no
access to email. If you are wondering about the family and new orleans,
all are safe and well.

UPDATE (2): David Forst has passed along the info he has on the Keck family
-- thanks for the update:

Jason Keck's parents, Bill and Jeanny, and the rest of Jason's extended
family are safe. I know they stayed at home for the hurricane itself,
but were forced to leave when NO began to flood. They were able to get
out of the city to get to Baton Rouge, and were then planning on going
to stay with family in Savannah. That is all the info I have.

More notes

Joe Walsh is quoted in this article about the Boston Park League, but the more interesting thing might be that he was quoted by phone while "recruiting in Atlanta."

Josh Klimkiewicz has also been quoted in the Globe lately.

Lance Salsgiver finished the season leading the Cape Cod League's Wareham Gatemen with a .301 average.

Mann Alive!

Speaking of recent Crimson catching greats, Schuyler Mann has indeed surfaced within the Yankees organization.

The Continued Adventures of Brian Lentz

Former Crimson catcher Brian Lentz has gotten a lot of press recently, although not all of it is the kind you'd like...

Brian Lentz was a tremendous athlete at St. John's Prep in football and baseball. In 1997 - the year the Eagles had perhaps their best football team in a generation - Lentz did it all ... even overshadowing future BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre.

He was on everybody's list of "can't-miss" prospects as a catcher, was headed to Harvard to play ball, and - with apologies to Timbuk 3 - his future was so bright he had to wear shades.

Well, what happened? Lentz, at the age of 25, had a cup of coffee with the North Shore Spirit within the last month, but was released by manager John Kennedy last week - basically for taking an "it's all about me" attitude. And if Kennedy needed further proof that he was right, all he had to do was read what Lentz had to say after he left.

Lentz could have chosen to leave quietly (as any player with a shred of self-respect might have done after being unceremoniously cut from a Single A level team). Instead, he not only burned the bridge, he blew it up ... a classic case of being hoist with one's own petard.

---From Steve Krause's "Lentz Burned Bridges," the Daily Item of Lynn (8/9/2005).

The Globe has a more charitable take, as the reporter rides with Lentz himself:

As he drove from his home in Manchester-by-the-Sea to Little Falls, N.J., last Friday in a Honda Accord without air conditioning, Brian Lentz was asked how much longer he planned to pursue a professional baseball career. The day before, Lentz, a catcher, had been discouraged by his release from the North Shore Spirit, but now that episode was in his rearview mirror, another obstacle in the bumpy road he has traveled in pro baseball.

''You just keep trying and trying and don't get discouraged," said Lentz, who for his five-hour drive to join the New Jersey Jackals was rewarded with one game and a plane ticket to Pensacola, Fla. The Jackals traded the 25-year-old Manchester native to another independent minor league franchise, the Pensacola Pelicans, last Friday.

---From Christopher Gasper's "A Catcher on the Fly," The Boston Globe (8/11/2005).

And so continues one of the more fascinating storylines Harvard sports has seen in recent years.

Lance Salsgiver, Cape League All-Star

And the nice ink that accompanies such an honor.

The Noise of Summer

Harvard Update:

Lance Salsgiver (.327) is leading the Cape Cod League's Wareham Gateman in batting average. Shawn Haviland has a 5.21 ERA in eight appearances.

Steffan Wilson is making quite the impression, according to this article that, for some reason, vanishes as soon as it loads. You have to press "stop" quickly to read it. Excerpt:

TORRINGTON -- When Torrington Twisters manager Gregg Hunt looks at Steffan Wilson, he sees a solid right fielder. And infielder. And pitcher if need be. In fact, Hunt just sees one darn good baseball player.

With virtually total roster turnover year-to-year in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, surprises are always part of the deal, and there has probably been no nicer surprise for the Twisters this season than Wilson.

"When we agreed to take him as a freshman (at Harvard), we didn't know what we were getting," Hunt said.

"He's a heck of a right fielder and can probably play anywhere he chooses. He played the infield for Harvard and was their closer. The only positions he probably can't play are up the middle."

"I think if I spent some time there (up the middle) I could play there," Wilson said with a smile when told of Hunt's analysis.

Wilson, a sturdy 6-foot-1, 210-pounder, was the 2005 Ivy League Rookie of the Year. He is currently hitting .320 for Torrington with a team-leading 32 RBI. He has spent most of the season in right for the Twisters, a situation he almost considers relaxing.
"It's nice to only focus on right field," Wilson said. "There is going to be time soon to focus in (on one position). I don't know if I need to make my decision now. If a scout told me to zone in, I'd definitely listen to the advice. But right now, I'm keeping all the doors open."

At this stage in his career, Hunt sees Wilson's versatility as nothing but an advantage.

"Eventually he is going to have to decide what he is, but he is in a great position now," Hunt said. "He can choose what he wants to do on the baseball field."

Wilson has no specific preference where he plays; this summer, he says, is about getting better in all areas. But, he does have a general direction for the future.

"I want to hit," he said. "I don't want to be stuck on the mound. I've always loved pitching, but I would choose to hit. I like being part of the action every day."

Former Crimson catcher Brian Lentz was released by the Mariners organization and signed with the independent North Short Spirit.

Former Ivy Pitcher of the Year Trey Hendricks leads the Yakima Bears, the Diamondbacks' Class A Northwest League affiliate, in average (.310), slugging (.442) and RBI (15) over 33 games.

Former Ivy Co-Pitcher of the Year Ben Crockett has an 3.68 ERA through 7 relief appearances and one start with the Class AA Tulsa Drillers.

While Wilson has thrived in the NECBL, Josh Klimkiewicz (.200) and Tom Stack-Babich (.156) have struggled. Speaking of struggling, Zak Farkes (5-for-45) has not had an auspicious start to his pro career at Class A Lowell.

Finally, we have this: Apparently, Larry Summers enlisted Matt Hyde for a crash course in reaching the mound before throwing the first pitch at Fenway recently.

“He was going to throw from behind the pitcher’s rubber like it was the baseline in tennis, so I had to get him straightened out,” Hyde recalled. “I told him they’d probably have him throw from 45 feet or something. But Larry said, ‘No, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it from the full distance.’”

“You learn a lot about a person when he puts on a glove,” Hyde said.

Zak Farkes: A Greatest Hits Compilation

• This Week: Farkes signs with Red Sox, ends Harvard career.
  
• Lowell Spinners' Farkes page.
  
• GoCrimson.com profile.
  
• Boston Herald feature.
  
• Unanimous selection to 2005 All Ivy.
  
• A clutch 2005 Dartmouth weekend.
  
• 2005 injury issues.
  
• Ultimately prescient 2005 Preseason Feature in The Crimson.
  
• Farkes returns for junior year.
  
• Summer league play in the Cape.
  
• Red Sox Draftee [with Crimson story]
  
• Unanimous utility selection, All Ivy First Team 2004.
  
• The Sick Season.
  
• Huge Dartmouth weekend as a soph.
  
• Farkes and the Facebook feature in The Crimson.
  
• Farkes, Klimkiewicz and Salsgiver named The Crimson's Male Rookies Of The Year.
  
• Ivy League Rookie of the Year, 2003.
  
• Meet The BB&N Boys.
  
• Early returns.

Breaking News: Farkes Leaves

The Harvard Crimson reports in its Friday edition that Zak Farkes forgoes his last year of NCAA eligibility to sign with the Red Sox, the team that drafted him last year:

TROY, N.Y.—Zak Farkes has always known just what kind of career he wants. From his childhood watching the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park through his years as a slugging infielder for the Harvard baseball team, Farkes has had the goal of playing baseball for a living.
Although various setbacks threatened to deny that dream, Farkes fulfilled his lifetime desire July 2 by signing a professional contract as a non-drafted free agent with his hometown Red Sox. Foregoing his senior season of baseball eligibility at Harvard, Farkes is embarking on what he hopes will be a long professional journey.

“What I want to do in my life is be a pro baseball player,” Farkes said before his new team, the Lowell (Mass.) Spinners, played Tuesday night. “A Harvard degree will help me out in the future, but my first commitment was to baseball.”

That commitment began last Sunday evening in Troy, N.Y. After signing the previous day—a contract that he negotiated with the team himself—Farkes was assigned to the Spinners of the New York-Pennsylvania League, a class-A franchise.

Farkes joined his new team just in time to catch the bus to Bruno Stadium, where Lowell was taking on the Tri-City ValleyCats, a minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. He was barely settled before learning Spinners’ manager Luis Alicea had penciled him into the starting lineup at second base, the position where the Red Sox have told Farkes he’ll get the majority of his playing time.

We'll have more on this story.

Diamond Notes

Having taken a bit of a break to catch our collective breaths (and watch CS-Fullerton fail to make it back to Omaha after all), here's a look at some Harvard baseball news and notes:

• Ben Crockett '02 was called-up to Double A Tulsa about the same time the Crimson met their Game 1 fate, after extended spring training / injury rehab:
  

  Ben Crockett is back on the mound after spending rehabilitation time for a shoulder injury in Tucson, Ariz. But the 25-year-old power pitcher from Topsfield, Masconomet Regional and Harvard University is not in a familiar role with the Tulsa Drillers of the Double A Texas League.
  
  Crockett is now pitching in relief.
  
  Professionally, he's been a fixture as a starting pitcher since signing with the Colorado Rockies in 2002, a third-round draft choice who was highly coveted coming out of Harvard.
  
  However, the power-pitching right-hander suffered an impingement of a shoulder nerve in spring training. He spent almost two months in Tucson in extended spring training for players who are on the mend.
  
  "If it's going to get me to the majors quicker, all the better. I have no problem with it," Crockett said. "I'm 100 percent healthy and anxious for the opportunity just to pitch.
  
  "I haven't done relief in some time, but I did close at times at Harvard and I relieved some that summer I pitched in Alaska after my freshman year at Harvard. It was a mixture of starting and relieving."

  
  
  Congratulations, Ben. Immediately after Crockett and the Crimson lost to Washington in the 2002 NCAA Regionals, I met Ben after his final press conference, shook has hand and thanked him for the memories. Ben Crockett starts in senior year were incredibly thrilling experiences, including a number of performances that felt even more dominant than the no-hitter he hurled against Dartmouth in 2001. I felt pretty confident it wouldn't be the last I saw of him on the mound. Here's hoping.
  
  And now, some more draft fallout:
  
  
• Steffan Wilson grew up on a diet of pretty good backyard pitching. His big brother and Winthrop pitcher was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 27th round. The younger Wilson gets a mention in this article.
  
  
• Nick Pulos, Penn catcher and new Oakland A's draftee, had some awfully interesting things to say about being drafted out of Penn in this oddly written article:
  
  

  The sole Penn player selected in the draft is disillusioned with the way Penn prepares its players for the possibility of being drafted. He said Penn does little to expose the varsity players to current Major Leaguers. For example, former Penn players and major leaguers Mark DeRosa and Doug Glanville, seldom, if ever, meet with current Penn players.
  
  The player claims that the draft is a tremendously political process, and the Ivy League and Penn are often overlooked by scouts. He claims that the outgoing Penn coaching staff did little to pressure players to be drafted and equally little to encourage Major League teams to draft Penn players.
  
  His case-in-point was the example of Nick Italiano. Italiano, a 2003 graduate was Penn's all time hit leader yet did not get drafted. However, Italiano's story was not complete disappointment, as he later signed with the Phillies as a rookie free agent.

  
  
  
• Summer-watch: Lance Salsgiver and Shawn Haviland in a Cranberry-Cape League showcase.
  
  
• Frosh-watch: Chris Stevens ("plans to walk on as an outfielder"), Jared Wortzman.

Thanks To All

It’s been a fantastic season to cover. While the ending was disappointing, the voyage was not. Another Ivy Championship under the belt, a whole host of All-Ivy Leaguers, tons of great performances (both individual and team) and plenty of days under the sun to remember. To the class of 2005, from my experience, I can tell you that your Harvard baseball experience only gets better with age.

Congratulations to the senior class. Two Ivy Championships will stay with you for a lifetime. On a special note, good luck to Rob Wheeler who will go on to serve something larger than himself. As noted by The Crimson previously, Doggie will be shipping out on June 23^rd to Fort Jackson, SC, where he will undergo nine weeks of the Army’s basic training and another 14 weeks of Officer Candidate School. Best wishes – our thoughts and prayers are with you.

I’d love to know what the rest of senior class has planned. If anyone knows, drop us a line. I’d love to see Sky get a shot in rookie ball. Ian displayed great character this season. He travailed through the early part of the season which saw him getting very little playing time, but he earned his way back into the lineup and was a solid contributor.

As for Lande, I too am going to miss reading her columns. Her almost-maniacal enthusiasm for baseball has shined through her columns for four years. By the way, Lande’s final column didn’t fully detail what a superstar her brother, Chas, is. Keep your eyes out for him next year in a Florida Gators uniform. This year, he led the Key West Conchs to the 3A championship (as a shameless plug, my high school – Melbourne Central Catholic – finished sixth in 3A at the end of the regular season). Anyways, Chas, the 103^rd ranked prospect in the ’05 high school class according to Perfect Game, fired a no-hitter in the state semifinals to get his team to the championship game as she noted. Lande, thank you for your contributions to the Harvard baseball program – but I have to say, in what could have been your biggest contribution, you fell short (getting Chas to Harvard). Best of luck to all.

And lastly, let me thank the creators of Sons of Bart Brush. This blog was the brainchild of Marty Bell. Brian Fallon served as the spark plug, and I was just along for the ride. Thanks to Brian and Marty for your efforts. A special note of thanks to Marty who dedicated literally days upon days to the blog, attended a number of games, met with the coaches, and put up an unceasing flow of insightful commentary. Also, thanks to all those who contributed to and read the blog. I’ve heard lots of positive feedback, and I’m satisfied the blog accomplished what was my personal goal – to reconnect the Harvard baseball alumni community.

Go Crimson! Repeat!

Thanks, Seniors.

Harvard Commencement was Thursday, and with that we give a heartfelt thanks to Schuyler Mann, Ian Wallace, Mike Morgalis, Rob Wheeler, Jeff Friedman and Javi Arteaga. Doggie and Mikey Mo were featured in the Crimson's outstanding commencement issue (which also named Steffan Wilson the Crimson's Male Rookie of the Year and Frank Herrmann its Breakout Athlete of the Year and ran more baseball articles than any commencement issue in memory).





An added note of congratulations and thanks to Lande Spottswood, a superb baseball writer and devoted fan of the cause for four years, whose final column ran on Thursday as well. I'll miss reading her.

Crying... Wolff?

Neither Schuyler Mann nor Zak Farkes was drafted today. However, it appears that John Wolff was. After reading this Pablo Torre story, I'll admit having to check elsewhere to make sure it wasn't an elaborate prank. But it wasn't.

Wolff, a reserve player on the Crimson, was picked in the 47th round—1,407th overall—by the Chicago White Sox. There are 50 rounds total.

The Armonk, N.Y., native out of Byram Hills High School played in just eight games in 2005 and started two of them, registering one hit in 11 plate appearances. He missed his entire freshman year due to injury, and appeared in nine games in 2004, going 4-for-8 on the season.

Wolff’s father, Rick Wolff ’74, was drafted after his junior year at Harvard by the Detroit Tigers, while his grandfather, the famous Bob Wolff, was a Hall of Fame broadcaster most notable for his work with the Washington Senators.

So figure that one out.

Pablo also pointed out in an e-mail that if you go to MLB.com's draftcaster (linked from here and check out the scouting video for St. John's pitcher John Sullivan, it's from his start against us at the Metrodome in the opening weekend this past year. Relive Matt Vance's early OBP tear! See Chris Mackey bat! Good times. He's pick #583 on Day Two.